Free Buddhist Audio

Today's FBA Dharmabyte, "Mahayana Scriptures" by Nagapriya is an overview of the vast literature of Mahayana Buddhism. He discusses how the new texts emerged, why so many are still preserved, and how they found legitimacy in the larger Buddhist tradition. In the full talk, Mahayana Buddhist Scriptures, he further explores ow Mahayana texts are different than those of the Pali Canon, why they emphasize imagination and myth, and why it remains useful for modern Buddhists to explore them despite their length

How do the Bodhisattvas enter the Dharma door of non-duality?Today's FBA Podcast, "The Way of Non-Duality" explores this as one of the main themes in the Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra. Sangharakshita explains some of the dualities listed in the Sutra, gives some examples of his own (with tips on how to transcend them), and concludes with Vimalakirti's 'thunder-like silence'.

Talk given in 1979 as part of the series "The Inconceivable Emancipation – Themes from the Vimalakirti Nirdesha."

Today's FBA Dharmabyte takes us into the wonderful, magical, mythical world of Vimalakirti Nirdesha. In "Shariputra's Worries" we are warned of the danger of getting sidetracked when worrying about little things when what we really need to do is find "The Way of Non-Duality." Talk given in 1979 as part of the series "The Inconceivable Emancipation - Themes from the Vimalakirti Nirdesha" and will be featured in Saturday's podcast.

Today's FBA Dharmabyte, "The Richness of the Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra" is an introduction to one of the seven themes in the sutra, The Way of Non-Duality, from chapter nine of the work, The Dharma Door of Non-Duality. The full the talk "The Way of Non-Duality" was given in 1979 as part of the series "The Inconceivable Emancipation - Themes from the Vimalakirti Nirdesha" and will be featured in Saturday's podcast.

Ratnaguna brings a fresh, clear-minded look at the Vimalakirti Nirdesa sutra in today's FBA Podcast, where he asks: "Who Is Vimalakirti?" Exploring current writings and the thinking of Sangharakshita he offers a number of possibilities: Vimalakirti is a community of practitioners; he is the bodhisattva principle; the spiritual imperative; and both an inspiration and a rebuke.

Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2009

Today's FBA Dharmabyte, "Ritual, Metaphor and Poetry" is an excerpt from the talk "Standing on Emptiness: View, Meditation, and Action" by Dhammadassin. This beautifully weighted talk challenges us to look at how we think and how we act, and is rooted in a moving fidelity to experience as the ground of our inspiration. One to be treasured! Talk given at the Western Buddhist Order women’s national Order weekend, August 2004

Today's FBA Dharmabyte is a lovely introduction to "Ryokan's Poems" from the inspiring talk by Padmavajra titled "Bliss Bestowing Hands." Packed with poetry and typically robust Zen reflections, this talk makes sure we are left with a heightened sense of the present moment as our only ground of being. From the not-to-be-missed series "Tangling Eyebrows with Zen Masters."

In today's FBA Podcast, Sangharakshita goes to Buddhafield! " A first for him, and a first for the fabulous Buddhafield Festival that takes place each year at the height of the English summer. This talk, "Entering the Sangha" was given in a tent in Devon – and the sounds of this great Dharma celebration are everywhere around as Sangharakshita marks his entry to the 'Dharma Parlour' with a rolling set of thoughts and reminiscences and encouragements to practice. We move from India at the time of the peaceful revolution of 'untouchable' caste Hindus, to the famed hot-tubs of the festival itself. And we are introduced to the first 'three fetters' from the Buddha's teaching, the breaking of which will set us free. This is classic Sangharakshita – plenty to challenge and plenty to talk about around the fire afterwards.

With an excellent and thoughtful introduction by Kamalashila.

Talk given at the Buddhafield Festival, Devon 2007

In today's FBA Dharmabyte" Sangharakshita speaks on the positive counterparts of the Three Fetters: Creative, Committed and Clear." From the talk "Entering the Sangha" given on Sangharakshita's first visit to the Buddhafield Festival, Devon 2007.

Today's FBA Dharmabyte, "Tension Between Self and Other," by Kavyasiddhi is from the accessible talk, "Learning the Metta Bhavana" given on a retreat open to people of all levels of meditation experience. Here she shares a personal account working with the tension arising between focusing on one's self and focusing on the needs of others.